


Three’s Company

by Herald_of_Naamah



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-02-11 20:14:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12942924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herald_of_Naamah/pseuds/Herald_of_Naamah
Summary: When the up-and coming Champion of Kirkwall met the Hero of Fereldan, he could not know how it would change his life.Add in one Inquisitor, and things just got complicated.





	1. Chapter 1

The Viscount’s Ball in Kirkwall was quite considered the event of the Winter season. There were artificial lights strung throughout the most lavish garden in city limits and the plants had all been refreshed to present at their very brightest. Garrett Hawke considered his surroundings and begrudgingly admitted- to himself at least- that the spread was impressive. The food was even good, particularly the Orlesian pastry filled with miniature Fereldan sausages.

Arriving and attend by the festivities was his mother’s idea and almost entirely for her benefit. She needed an outing, a night on the town as the Amell matriarch. Her feet moved with a remembered rhythm to the steps as her memory of the motions came back with a vengeance.

Garrett was happy for Leandra of course. Truly happy. That happiness, however, did not allay his displeasure at being saddled at the affair as her escort.

“Garrett Hawke, is it not?”

The beleaguered hero of Kirkwall turned, ready to again shoo away another hawking fan, when his eyes truly took on the woman who had called for him. She was slender, agile in frame, and carried herself with a confidence missing from most women he had met since nobility was thrust upon him months ago. Her hair was flame red and long, though flowing waves spoke takes of being often confined in tight plaiting. Her dress was form fitting velvet of a brilliant royal blue etched in silver, threads picking up the tones so that even the movement of her chest while breathing causes it to faintly glimmer. She was a vision, a temptress, an obvious ballroom darling.

Hawke processes this in seconds and extended his hand. While most women here expected and desired a kiss on the knuckle, for this unique beauty he offered a warm handshake. “I am,” he admitted. “Who might you be?”

“Elena Cousland.”

Garrett’s eyebrow quirked up. “You are from Fereldan, then? A little far from home.”

Elena’s smile widened, comfortable in that she had been recognized while her status as hero was set to the back burner. “Your accent tells me you are away from home as well. What part of Fereldan are you from?”

“Lathering.” He saw the heroine’s face fall and quickly added, “Though we did move around a lot. My father... he liked to... experience new places.”

Cousland nodded sagely, head quirked. “I see.” She was looking at him, attempting to read between the lines. Then her eyes widened in surprise- Garrett swore he could hear a clicking sound as she nodded sagely. “I do see.”

Disturbed at being discovered, Garrett cleared his throat. “So what business does the Hero of Fereldan have in the Free Marches, Commander Cousland?” The wince on her fair face almost made him regret the cool tone.

Until...

“I’ve actually been tracking down a friend of mine.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Two, truth be told, though I suspect if what I have heard is correct when I find one I will have the other as well.”

Garrett thought of sanders and the mage’s clinic in Darktown, his heart aching for the man. “I wish you fortune in your search.” He was careful not to specifu what manner of fortune, even as he hoped it was ill.

“I am well connected,” Elena claimed. “I will find him soon.” She leaned against the railing looking over the brightly lit display at her feet. “It is quite a sight, isn’t it?”

Garrett nodded, slipping in beside her. “That it is.”

“Lovely music as well.”

“Hmm.” Garrett nodded, then nearly balked as the lady offered her hand. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m asking for a dance of course. Oblige me? Or at least humor me?”

Garrett sighed. “I don’t really...”

“I do. Let me lead, Serrah Hawke.”

Garrett was left wholly without option and guided his partner onto the dance floor into the ballroom. Her hand slipped easily into place on his shoulder as the other grasped at his own. He let the other fall at her hip as he was taught, clasping at the waist slightly. She led him around the floor at a brisk pace, timed to the fast beat of the music; once it faded to a slower rhythm, she leaned in and let the closeness alter the steps naturally. Garrett found himself holding her fondly. As the music came to a close, he deposited a kiss meant to hit her forehead, but Cousland tilted her head at the last moment so they wound up locking lips.

The kiss was not gentle. It was primal, involving tongues and heavy breathing. When they pulled away, panting, Garrett looked at the Fereldan woman with slightly dazed and rather hungry eyes.

“Come with me,” he demanded, watching as her eyes dropped lustily and her breathing intensified. “We need to go.”

Elena nodded eagerly, letting her partner grab her wrist and take her from the floor. Garrett found Leandra swiftly, speakingbin wuick terms as he handed her care over to Sebastian Vael. The Chantry archer took her care seriously, bowing to the elder woman and taking his charge by the hand to guide her aptly through the festivities.

Garrett watched a moment to ensure his mother’s safety before taking the still rapt Cousland to his carriage, shaking his head even as they stepped up into the back. Once there he barely managed, “I almost feel sorry for the woman,” before he was nearly attacked by the ferocious Warden pushing him to the seat and devouring his lips as her hands wandered his body. Clothing felt confining as a prison, a barrier, as they touched desperately. It was refreshingly simple after all the courting, the hoops and rigamarole, the upper echelon of Kirkwall had put Garrett through since his elevation to nobility.

Once at the Amell estate, the two flung themselves from the streets into the foyer. Hawke counted himself lucky for having Bertrand the night off; it meant the mansion was empty as he took Cousland’s dress off and let it slip to the marble floor in the entryway, his trousers following on the staircase and a piece of cloth no following every few steps along the way like a trail of breadcrumbs in a children’s tale. In spite of the chill the two ignored the ample fireplace in favor of the furs that lay on the bed. As the last scraps of clothing came off, the duo slipped beneath the coverlets to begin a different activity to keep warm.

It was Elena who started the process. From beneath the bedding and furs she grasped Hawke’s growing interest, keeping her thumb at the sensitive base of the head, massaging it gently as she stroked rhythmically and cautiously. It drove Garrett into a haze, especially as after only two minutes her mouth took her where her hands had so recently been at work.

Garrett concentrated his attention on control, keeping himself from completing in Elena’s mouth. With great strength of will he flipped to his stomach, turning Cousland in the process and pulling her up to the pillows. He let his own fingers slide between her legs to tend with the button he found there and the damp circle below that. She murmured in pleasure, and he kept going until he felt the wetness fully flowing.

Then, deftly, he drove himself into her opening.

The actual completion of the act took only minutes. There were no stars, no bright lights, no magic. It was a relieving of tension, two people can Ming together to satisfy their basest desires. It was an effort that left both individuals relaxed and rested beside each other.

The sun shone into Garrett’s window hours later. He blinked his eyes into opening and stretched, the crunch of relief echoing in his back and joints. His attention moved to the woman beside him, memories of the previous night causing him to grin. Rather than a multitude of piles, he looked to see their clothing had been arranged into two neat stacks in chairs on either side of a roaring fire, tea and some biscuits centered where the extensive heat could keep the drink warm. Garrett lightly poked Elena’s shoulder, watching as she rolled to grab him by the waist.

“There’s food,” he whispered into her ear.

“Yes please,” she managed sleepily. With a chuckle, Kirkwall’s budding champion slid from his covers to brave the cold and retrieve the tray. The two then spent a lazy morning chatting and ignoring the world completely until luncheon time crept upon them. Garrett threw on some new clothing, turning to see Cousland was still in Just breeches and her smalls.

“Garrett?”

“Yes, Elena?”

“Might I borrow a shirt?”

Looking, he noticed her dress- folded, yet still crumpled. Luckily she had worn full breeches underneath the skirts, tight though they may be, but the dress would not be going on again. Garrett couldn’t help but chuckle as he went into his closet and pulled out a shirt of the same royal blue tone, a collared silk item with a tie at the center.

“Keep it,” he suggested. “You will wear it better than I ever have.”

When the duo went down to lunch, Leandra was already there. She eyed Cousland approvingly before setting the third place at their table, the entire ordeal feeling unnaturally comfortable for all involved. Including the peck on the cheek as Elena left, stating she needed to continue onward.

“Oh and Garrett?” she whispered as she left the estate.

“Yes, Elena?”

“Tell Anders to keep himself safe.”

Garrett choked on his words. He would have retorted, but as she left he realized just how little he truly wanted to.

Leandra never mentioned the liaison again.

Neither did Garrett Hawke.


	2. Chapter 2

Gloriana Trevelyan was not one to play games. When she was young and her body betrayed her, spouting solidness and girth rather than height and dainty proportions, she had made a conscious decision to leave frivolity behind her. Mother had sighed, frustrated and lamenting that she would doubtless die without grandchildren from her youngest daughter; father, on the other hand, had understood. As she neared age fourteen the man had presented her with her first sword and shield, training following the next morning.

By fifteen Glori had determined she would spend life alone as a warrior. Two years later one night at a ball had proven her wrong...

Gloriana Trevelyan pushes the memory away. It had been the better part of a decade after all, and the mind was a strange thing to get lost in. She found her attention again at Skyhold, the twists of fate have me brought her here after she had dedicated herself to life at the service of the Chantry. This was, she supposed, quite close enough to keep her vow.

“Sweet Andraste preserve me,” she whispered into the breeze, looking again over the ample mountaintop with a sigh. “This Inquisition will be the death of me.”

Perhaps it would. Corypheus grew stronger every day, not to mention Red Templars, Venatori- even dragons wanting to see her demise.

But Gloriana kept standing, the immovable object there waiting for an unstoppable force to meet her that they could see what happened. The thought almost made her smile.

In spite of her trials, Gloriana Trevelyan was a fighter, and she was ready to fight.


	3. Chapter 3

Gloriana was skeptical about the mage when she first met him. She had to be, of course; she had recently begun true Templar training, and was studying with Cassandra non-stop to become proficient without the use of lyrium- mistrust of mages came naturally after the years of Chantry care. His debonair attitude, however, won the woman over on their first foray together... or it could have been that his presence brought a new, more calm dynamic to her group; Vivienne was less standoffish, Blackwall broke his silent treatment, and even Varric came more to life with his old friend at his side. Trevelyan had to admit to enjoying the dynamic almost as much as the man himself.

Hawke, for that matter, was not what she had come to expect in a mage. He held himself rather confidently, but without the pervasive ego most other experience magic users seemed to carry in their every step- mayhaps, she wondered, a byproduct of his apostate upbringing.

It was their fourth day in Crestwood when Trevelyan happened upon the dragon. Her eyes bulged in fear and wonder, then narrowed in determination as she thought of what this meant for the villagers. Her breath caught like a lump in her throat as she carefully whispered, “We need to eliminate it.”

It was Hawke who came up at her shoulder. “Are you sure?” he asked, just a hint of uncertainty in the tone. When Glori nodded, however, he pulled his staff with a sight twirl. “Then I am with you,” was his promise.

With Garrett’s assistance, the warrior threw herself into the fray. She heard Blackwall quietly mutter a colorful curse while they ran in, his feet following with her. Within moments they were upon the great wyrm, his teeth and jaws naggling while they fought his electrified attacks. Glori found herself lost in the battle, whittling away at her opponent as her companions took chunks out of the beast.

Quite suddenly, she felt it. The rush of blood fled her, the adrenaline gone. She felt her feet give, the darkness sliding around her...

Only just as quickly to feel a swift, soft rush as her energy returned. She took the new wind to shove her blade into her opponent’s chest, following the motion up by jumping onto the pommel. She drove a secret nasty blade into the dragon’s skull, feeling the satisfying slide as she felt it give into his skull. The dragon slid to the ground, and Gloriana rose the wave down to the surface before a deft dismount.

It was Hawke who caught her eyes first, coming up to ch close her condition and gently inspect the wounds the dragon had inflicted. As his palm glowedva light green, Trevelyan shifted, even as the health by waves flowed into her.

“I had no idea you were a spirit mage, she commented, her tone casual. “That was not what I expected.”

Hawke paused, blinking as he met her eyes. “What did you expect? Fire? Lightening?”

“Given your reputation,” Trevelyan admitted, “fire would have seemed apt.”

“Anders was always more the one for fire and brimstone,” Hawke noted. “I was never the revolutionary he was.”

Gloriana’s head quirked to the side. “That... does make sense,” she acquiesced.

It got her head turning though. Garrett Hawke has a different light at that point, no longer the dangerous radical in her eyes that he had seemed. The rest of their trek in the odd-feeling marsh felt less off-putting from that point forward, and her mind ventured to the strong mage at her side.


	4. Chapter 4

Garrett was concerned for the woman known as the Herald of Andraste. Certainly Gloriana Trevelyan was strong and infinitely capable, but there was a sadness in her that he was loathe to accommodate. Her other companions seemed content to leave it be of course; her demeanor was her own after all, and one she was entitled to keep. For Hawke though it felt like a personal challenge- he wanted to see her chuckle and giggle, to brighten...

A smile- a true, honest smile, at least- took a while. They were heading triumphantly back to Skyhold having defeated a high dragon, and the young woman had slipped. Walking a few steps behind her, Hawke had darted up to support her weight, keeping her from the tumble, when he saw what had caused the misstep.

It was a deer.

A fawn, actually. Small with a beautiful white bobbing tail and an adorably twisting face. One of its legs seemed lame, but not truly broken, leading to it having trouble moving. Without a second thought, Garrett set a hand on the poor creature’s head and let a swift stream of healing flow...

To be met with that brilliant smile.

Later that evening, as the fire died leaving him alone with Trevelyan to enjoy the firelight, Hawke let his eyes wander. She was considering him pensively, head cocked and eyes unerringly on target.

“Is something amiss?” Hawke asked, letting his amusement show through.

Amusement, however, was not what was on Glori’s mind. She pursed her lips and stretched her neck. “Why heal the deer?” She questioned, a point at the end of the sentence.

“Because I could.” He shrugged thoughtfully adding, “It needed me to help. Any suffering I can lower is my duty to ease.”

Trevelyan neared him, inching closer until she was at his side. The closeness was foreign- not uncomfortable, but certainly different. “So that’s normal for you?”

“In my family it was.” Hawke curled his legs up close to his chest. “It’s just how we always lived. How I always lived.”

Hawke was surprised at that time to find his companion’s head fall to his shoulder. He slowly to look at her, finding her calmly leaning against him. She murmured softly, whispering, “That must have been nice.” Garrett let the surprise slide through him and instinctively withdrew his arm, putting it around her and clasping at her waist.

“Glori?” he chanced. She shifted in his arm, but didn’t pull away. “What is it you truly want? From me, at least?”

Trevelyan was smiling against his side then, quiet as the words came out lightly. “I want to feel,” she admitted. “I want to have a night to forget who I am. I want to be able to relax and let someone else take the reins so that I don’t have to decide or speak.” She sighed. “And if it is more, then all the better. I could use someone solid in my life- even if only for a few months.”

Hawke mulled over those words before letting his eyes peruse the campsite. There were two guards on duty, but these were the spymaster’s men and unlikely to speak. He edged forward, moving hands to clasp the Herald’s wrists as he moved to pin her to the ground below them. He brought her hands together to grip her wrists in one palm, moving the other to feel between her legs. In spite of her fully clothed status Trevelyan moaned at the sensation, the clarity and lustfulness of her desire echoing through the camp lightly. The two guards turned away pointedly, leaving Garrett to make a decision.

He dipped low, catching her lips in a kiss met with high fervor. Trevelyan pushes forward, trying to nip at his lip, her tongue seeking entry. He pulled away, reveling in her mewling as he denied her. “No biting,” he directed, grinning wildly. When she frowned, he stood and offered a hand. “Join me.”

Trevelyan was not a small slip of a woman. Her body had grips and curves, allowing Hawke to grab and force his points. He led her to his tent, immediately working on the removal of her clothing. In moments the Herald was naked in front of him, shivers no slightly both with cold and excitement. Garrett took a moment to consider her, reveling in her body and demeanor.

“Gloriana.” He smiled at the image, the shudder of her name. He moved to her, taking her hair from the braid and letting the tawny gold fall to her shoulders in a cascade of yellow and brown. “You’re beautiful.”

“Not really,” she argued. Her head lowered, eyes shut tightly, as Hawke’s throat cleared. “Serrah?”

“I am in charge,” he warned. “You ARE a beautiful creature, Gloriana. A finely aged woman, clearly well bred.” He bent to her breasts, picking one to suckle and relishing in her gasp. One hand dipped between her legs again as well, fingers playing in her tight hole with fervor. 

Trevelyan naturally bent until she was bracing against her tormentor. Hawke took a moment to lower her to the ground, onto some me warm blankets. Once there, he kissed down her stomach and inserted his tongue in ever quickening circles.  
The scent was heady, but pleasant, yet that was nothing next to the sweet taste of her. She squirmed at his touches, and even moaned thickly when his nails caught on the sensitive skin of her thighs. Garrett chuckled, the motion echoing as a thrum first through him then into her. As he felt her begin to arch he withdrew his pants and took himself in hand. He had done me so only a few minutes before he heard a breathless, “May I please?”

Without verbal response he moved his attentions, putting his hardening cock at her lips. She greedily ran her tongue along it, bobbing as she reacted to his attentions below.

When the moment of release came, it was mutual and joined. Hawke rolled in a fluid, practiced motion and let himself collapse at Gloriana’s side, feeling her wrap around his leg tautly to stay in place. He smiled, not only resigned but happy to have a place beside this woman.

Morning would wait. And just maybe it would be a little less stressful for both the Inquisitor and the Champion in a dying world.


	5. Chapter 5

Elena Cousland stood on the steps of an Orlesian palace, mask firmly in place and draping dress decidedly uncomfortable on her figure. She was well aware she cut a brilliant image in the flowing grey-blue skirts, but her willingness to wear the dress ebbed with every minute. In spite of her noble upbringing and high title, she had never been cozy when forced into formal attire.

“He’d better appreciate this,” she muttered low under her breath.

Even though there had been notes and requests, Ellie was not here to see Leliana, or even the newly minted Onquisitor. On the arms of an Orlesian noble who agreed to keep her identity under wraps, she had arrived for one reason only- and a reason, at that, she did not quite comprehend herself...

She stood now in the background, making small talk until the retinue of the Inquisition came into view. Then she looked over until she saw the expected figure. Garrett Hawke himself was at the edge, staying near to Varric, lingering in the quiet recesses just barely holding back chuckled as his companion was questioned about the books, especially about the Champion of Kirkwall. Cousland also giggled at the irony under her breath, taking a moment to shuffle along the side and sit near him.

“Serrah,” she whispered, disguising her voice to keep the Fereldan accent at bay with one from the Marches. “Might I inquire as to your identity?”

“Malcolm Amell,” was the warm response before he turned.

She leaned in closer, just to his ear, to talk. “We both know that’s not true, Garrett.” His eyes bulged as he saw her, mouth erupting in a smile. “But I think we can keep secrets, can we not?”

“My lady.” He rose to bow to her. “That is an agreeable trade.”

The two moved around the quiet edges of the garden, in the bushes and trellises that provided cover along the Winter Palace’s walkways. Once in the cover, Cousland disposed of her mask and leaned in to her partner, pulling forth a well-deserved, requested kiss that Hawke deepened immediately. His hands searched her body, and hers reacted in turn.

It had been eight years since that night in Kirkwall. They hadn’t seen each other since, but when Garrett started on the move he had taken to writing the Hero of Fereldan, the letters delivered via Jenny couriers who kept an eye on their respective locations. Elena thought the whole thing a delicious irony, using an underground organization neither had any affiliation with to keep in touch, and she liked it that way. Yet when she realized he would be close, in Orlais, near enough to touch she couldn’t help her heart. And here they were.

Other couples had similar ideas. They could hear the youthful liaisons all around them- mere children, it felt like to them, caught in the moment. As Elena bent to her knees, a hand aptly hiking her skirt to allow her to rub her own jewel, she thought of how surreal it seemed. It was like being an ill-advised teenager again.

The thought dissipated with all others as she felt the warm, smooth cock penetrate into her lips. She rolled her tongue as she bobbed, letting the swirls hit the most sensitive nerves of his appendage. Her own hand moved faster on her button, causing her to murmur and reverberate along his shaft.

Then, a moment past, Hawke pushed Cousland to her hands and knees and flipped the skirt up fully to insert himself into her willing hole.

Elena gasped. In her mind, everything went to stars and warmth. She pushed further into him, letting the thrusting motion build her into a frenzy until she felt her head burst into a further explosion of sensation while her body twitched. That same instant a flooding heat filled her as the aching no hardness at her center exploded in kind.

As Cousland reset her hair, a grin came across her face. “I missed you,” she admitted. “And I needed that.”

“I did too. To both.”

Hawke kissed her shoulder lightly, he played with the ends of her braid. She batted it away, chuckling as she went. “I need to go,” She mourned.

Hawke walked with her, the masks again in place as the reentered the ballroom. He twirled her around the floor in a quick dance before returning to Gloriana Trevelyan and her retinue. It had been a quick, but wonderful encounter.

The memory would last until their next encounter well.


	6. Chapter 6

Hawke enjoyed taking the afternoons with Inquisitor Trevelyan. Gloriana was a rare woman who pulled him from the darker recesses of his mind, and he hoped he was able to provide the same for her. The sexual passion was enjoyable as well, the casualness and gentle randomness perfection in his world. Trevelyan appreciates quick, harsh encounters but balked just short of sharp pain, and her body reacted to his touch with relish.

Trevelyan, for her part, was more comfortable with the arrangement than she should have been. Her body harkened to the mage’s every call, a strange feels my for a woman who had spent the last several years in a nearly cloistered Chantry. His motions brought her back to herself, reminder of better times and a man who had accepted her physical flaws and loved her not in spite but because of them.

The newly-minted Templar could not help but love Hawke.

It made the decision harder. Gloriana set in the Fade, seeing the monster and hearing Alistair at one side and Garrett on the other, both offering themselves to make the escape possible. She panicked, of course, unsure how to proceed...

Then Garrett blinked.

It was a subtle thing. Gloriana could have ignored it, but she couldn’t help but see the uncertainty in his gaze. The Warden on the other hand was hard as steel and colder in that moment. She nodded at the red-blonde man, spoke her piece, and took her lover by the arm to make their escape.

Adrenaline, it turns out- and Garrett has to laugh at the realization- is a potent aphrodisiac.

The duo slept in the same tent that night, Hawke’s imminent parting laying between them. The act of sex took no time at all, the event itself almost embarrassing in brevity- but not, it could be said, in heat. They coupled several times that night, each time more desperate than the last, until they were spent and left the last several hours of the even big into the dawn holding each other in rest.

As they woke, daze in their eyes, Gloriana shuddered int her companion’s shoulder. “I love you,” she chanced, wondering if he would even hear it in his half-asleep state.

“I love you too.”

Apparently he could.


	7. Chapter 7

Garrett was not accustomed to walking as far as he required of himself lately. When in the run, he had tried to keep the distances to a reasonable amount- and of course while in Kirkwall he had limited his reach...

He was too old for this strenuous pace he had set for himself, he determined with a sigh.

He was nearly to the docks north of Fereldan. He bypassed Amaranthine, needing more quiet, and headed to one place he would never be expected: Highever. It would be clear and unattended, and few here would know his identity. Or at least that would be the case if not for the Couslands.

Garrett Hawke looked again at the letter and sighed loudly. “So much for that,” he whispered.

It seemed simple enough. ‘Teryn Fergus Cousland graciously invites Champion Garrett Hawke of Kirkwall to his estate and offers him both safe passage in his towns and lodging within the castle walls as desired.’ Garrett shook his head at the invitation. Had it been from any other nobleman he would have shrugged it off and continued on. But it wasn’t.

It was Elissa’s brother.

So that was why Garrett was stepping towards the castle, looking at the estate with wide eyes as he neared it. His feet moved slowly as he wandered nearer and looked blankly as he tried to figure out what he was to say to this man. He had never met family before now, and his heart stumbled in beats more as he got to his destination. He was about to turn around when a stampeding pony dashed by, a young child on its back screaming as he held on for dear life.

Garrett wasted no time with hesitation. He drew his energy up and started off at a run to rival the small horse, glad for a small speed spell he had developed to side him. When he drew close he cast again, this time with some flourish to dissipate the energies, as he worked to make the pony feel heavily and pause. The stratagem worked, and he soon found himself at the side of a very skittish and scared boy.

“It’s alright,” the mage soothes. “I have you.”

The child cling as hard, still shaking. “Th-thank you, Serrah.” His small hands clasped those of his savior tightly as he worked towards a calm. “Please don’t tell my father or aunty.”

Garrett nodded slowly. “I shall endeavor not to,” he promised. “I suppose it is best that we get you home.”

The boy nodded and pointed down the path. “Up there,” he guided.

Garrett sighed as he pulled the boy over his shoulders. “I have you,” he promised. “Let’s go.”

Garrett Hawke took the whole trip to the mansion to piece together that the boy on his shoulder was the teryn’s son. When he did he started a weather eye on the horizon. Because the way the boy had spoken his mind began racing, and his heartbeat heightened to a ridiculous amount. If the child was concerned about discussion to his aunt, then...

Elissa was standing at the front door, leaning against the frame. As she saw Garrett and her nephew coming up the drive she straightened and grinned widely. “Garrett! Bry! You made it.” She wrapped her arms around the man’s neck and grabbed the boy from him to get him to the ground. “Welcome.”

“Thank you for the invitation.”

Elissa just shrugged. “It was my brother’s idea, not mine.”

“Riiight.”

Elissa mocked shock that her words sweet not believed before turning to her nephew. “Why don’t you go tell dad our guest has arrived?” she suggested. “I’ll start showing him around the grounds.”

Elisa took Garrett by the hand and before the young boy could speak she was hiding Hawke into deeper corridors in the rebuilt castle of Highever. She pushed him against a wall, savoring in the kiss. Garrett let the sensation linger with a warmth and delight before grabbing her waist and squeezing until she released. “Not your idea?” He finally challenged mirthfully.

“Only told him where you were,” Elissa protested. “I didn’t say you should...”

Garrett cut her comment off with the return of a deep kiss. “I’m here,” he whispered.

“You’re here.”

The evening came quickly. Garrett found he actually liked Fergus Cousland, the man having a matter-of-fact attitude and level head that the Hawke scion appreciated immensely. The woman he had chosen as his wife when he took Highever back was a treasure, a sweet darling who reminded him almost painfully of Merrill. The two children, both seven year old Bryce and the five year old Elyse, were surprisingly well behaved for their young ages though in Bryce’s case it could well have been his lingering fear from the earlier adventure. Dinner was a jolly affair with smiles and a massive amount of conversation that showed all of them were fully comfortable together.

It made Hawke somewhat jealous.

Once the meal had completed he made to hear back with Elissa when Fergus set a hand on his shoulder. “Would you join me in the study? I have a brandy I’ve been itching to open.”

Garrett looked to Elissa for guidance. She simply shrugged, leaving the two men to retire together into the personal study of the teryn of Highever. It was a beautiful room, though the desk and cases alike were obviously newly minted.

“Do you like it?” Fergus asked. “I redesigned it myself when I took over. Too many memories were left in this room after... after father.”

Garrett nodded his understanding. “I have... similar experiences,” he admitted.

“So I have heard.”

Fergus poured the drinks slowly and turned to regard his visitor. It seemed an eon of silence followed before Hawke again attempted to break the density of it. “Thank you for your invitation, teryn,” he chanced.

“I assume you realize I did not ask you here to speak about my father’s decorating,” Fergus pointed out with light humor. “I would like to know your thoughts towards my sister.”

“My... Thoughts?”

Fetus rolled his eyes. “I grew up with her, you know. I can tell when she’s infatuated with someone, Champion Hawke.”

“I’d hardly call her infatuated...” Hawke started, but the incredulous eyes shut his mouth as he took another sip of his drink.

“Really?” Fergus chuckled. “What would you call it?”

Hawke put his glass down, the warmth of his drink feeling comfortable as it moved down, and considered. “She is intrigued, I suppose.”

Fergus shook his head. “Ellie has had a lot of... experience with dalliances.” When Hawke blushes, the other man waved his hand dismissively. “It’s not saying she is wanton, mind you, but I know who she is. My sister is a creature of desire. I remember as teenagers when she fixed her mind on Nathaniel Howe- would not give up until he gave into her. I don’t know either our parents or his really knew mind you. The point, Hawke, is that she typically lets it lie once she has... dallied, shall we say? I thought maybe you were hard to catch until I saw how you touch her. So. She’s infatuated. One might even say she’s in love.”

Hawke choked. “In... love? With... me, presumably?”

“Why do you seem so shocked?”

Garrett shook his head. “Because it isn’t possible,” he explained. “She’s... well, she is... who she is...”

“And who do you presume to be, Champion of Kirkwall?” Fergus practically laughed out his response. “You really are that unassuming, aren’t you? Behind the tales, the layer of bravado- you don’t even believe in your own history.” The comment was matter-of-fact, slightly bitter and surprised at the same time. Then, slower, “You two make a perfect pair then.”

Garrett sighed. “What, two people far too famous for their own good?” He challenged, surprised when Fergus vigorously shook his head.

“No, a couple so enamored of their humility they ignore how well known and matched they are in their own right. You realize she thinks her position inferior to yours, Hawke?”

Garrett choked on air. “That isn’t...”

“No,” Fergus agreed. “It isn’t quite true. Then again you aren’t lower than she either. The two of you need each other, I would say. Don’t let her go- and don’t take her for granted.”

Hawke left the room with a spinning head, working to keep hims mind under control. He was unsurprised to find Eissa waiting for him, hand outstretched, beckoning...

He decided on his own not to take that love for granted as he went.


	8. Chapter 8

Gloriana glared across the battlefield, her eyes meeting her opponent’s with a firm resolve. His responding huff was accompanied by sly smile, as if to show his certainty that the battle was already won. Gloriana pursed her lips, resolving not to let him get to her as she continued along her way.

A single hand moved and then...

“Check.”

Cullen cast his eyes over the field opposite of her, lips pushing together as he gingerly reached for his own knight.

“Checkmate,” he announced haughtily.

Glori opened her mouth to protest, viewing the field to find a move her opponent had missed, but finding none closed it so she ended up looking more like a caught fish for an instant. She pouted slightly, crunching her nose. “It’s not fair,” she determined.

“Life rarely is,” Cullen noted sagely. “Nevertheless, I have checkmate.”

Gloriana squares her lips and took a deep breath. “Good game.” She leaned forward, extending a hand that was quickly accepted.

Cullen leaned back into his chair and reached out for his drink. “So,” he started, “do you want to talk about it?”

Gloriana chuckled low. “Talk about what?” she asked pointedly, shaking her head. “How bad I am at chess?”

Cullen shook his head. “No. Whatever is bothering you.”

Gloriana opened her mouth again, about ready to protest, then thought better of it. She sat back and let her eyes shut as she considered her response.

Her relationship with Cullen was not as she had expected. He was a confidante not only in her military decisions, but also in matters of her mind. She was a conflicted woman in so many ways, fearful and a bit uncertain much of the time. It wasn’t that she had an issue with her position but if there was one thing she hated... well...

The adoration got to her. Badly. As did the memories-

A soft hand against her cheek, a kind voice whispering everything was fine and she was as lively as he could desire. Delicate flowers woven into her hair, blue and purple to accent her eyes and dress, as he took her out to dance... and the actions were so alike to dueling they caught the room off guard with prowess.

“Did you know I was married once?”

Cullen shook his head and admitted, “It hasn’t exactly come up. Leliana probably knows...”

Gloriana shook her head. “I doubt it. I hid it pretty far in Ostwick.”

“How long ago was this?”

Glori had to smile. “Let’s see, I’m thirty now so... twelve years or so? Maybe a year or two more? My father had been flustered when putting me to court since I was loathe to fancy dress, but there was a man who found my martial strength charming.” A giggle escaped her lips as she reminisced, mind going to their equal times in the training yard and in bed. “Others were intimidated by me, actually, but Mikael... Mikael sought to equal me without being a triumphant arse when he got the upper hand. It was not something I had gotten used to.”

Cullen looked thoughtful, scratching a bit at the edge of his chin. “So what happened?” He asked quietly, carefully...

Glori paused as she debated how to answer. She had let her story come up but the rest was painful, uncomfortable. Yet he had been accommodating and kind to her... he deserved everything.

“You have treated me as your sister,” she s then. “So I’ll tell you about... about... that.” Her eyes brimmed with tears, her voice catching. “I haven’t spoken about him in so long...”

Cullen paled visibly. “You don’t have to,” he assured.

Gloriana considered. “Yes, but I want to.” A deep breath later and she continued. “Shortly after the war began he joined up with a group trying their keep the peace. A group of mages hunted him into a forrest where a couple Templars were waiting- it did not end well.”

Cullen winced. “I hope he did not suffer overmuch.”

“Hard to say,” Glori admitted. “I just wish it had never come to that bloody war.”

Cullen considered that for a moment before his question came up. “Your liaison with Hawke would suggest otherwise.”

Gloriana shook her head. “I don’t think of it that way,” she explained. “He wasn’t responsible for the war, just nearby when it happened.”

Cullen considered that a moment. “I... wouldn’t have thought about it that way.”

Glori shrugged a bit. “Not many other ways to consider. He never wanted this.”

“Did he not?” Cullen asked, exasperation in his voice. “Anders...”

“Was his companion. Should I hold you responsible for the likes of Meredith?”

Cullen lowered his head, shaking it. “No,” he responded in a whisper.

“Then why should I have treated Hawke any differently?”

Cullen shook his head. “I spoke out of place,” he admitted.

Trevelyan stretches a bit and reached for his hand. He’d been her protector, her brother, even her knight in shining armor once or twice. “It’s alright.”

Cullen then paused and considered. “What was it between you two anyway?” He asked, finally broaching his biggest question.

Gloriana couldn’t help but smile as she shrugged. “He understood me is all. That’s not easy in my position.”

“As a figurehead?” Cullen asked, confused.

Trevelyan shook her head. “When my intended died, I went to the Chantry. They accepted me as a penitent, and I took my limited vows seriously. I promised to serve. Hawke... he may be a mage... but he knew that kind of loyalty. I appreciated that. It’s the same thing I have from you, Cullen.” She reached for his hand, patting it slowly. “Thank you.”

There were no further words before Cullen reset the board for another game. They quietly played another game through the afternoon, enjoying the quiet of the garden as they avoided all other heavy subjects and concentrated on their pieces, no question more pressing than who would win.

It was Cullen, of course.


	9. Chapter 9

“I love you.”

The words took Garrett off-guard. He pulled around to look at the Warden accompanying him. “Do you now?”

Elissa could only nod before she doubled back over the cot over the bucket. While she had been adamant to join Hawke, the lady Cousland did not seem amenable to the sea. Once she had expelled her sickness, she breathed deep and slowly said, “I am sorry to say it in such circumstances.”

“I don’t know- it’s kind of romantic.”

The Warden grumbled as she started to feel sick again, laying back in a hope to contain the sensation. Garrett brought her a tumbler of clean water, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Insufferable,” she murmured.

“Would it help,” Hawke tentatively noted, “for me to admit I love you as well?”

Cousland paused, all signs of her seasickness briefly forgotten. “You... do?”

Garret replied with a nod, then a curse as the boat rolled and he slid into the bed and Elissa’s arms.

“Is it that surprising? You’ve convinced me to deal with Isabella again and return to Skyhold after all.”

Elissa chuckled. “Isabella is a strange one, isn’t she?”

“Yes.” Isabella came from the hallway and deposited herself on a side chair. “I am.”

Garret sighed. “To what did we owe the displeasure, Bella?”

Isabella rolled her eyes dramatically. “And to think I gave you my best cabin...”

“Did you?” Garrett challenged.

“I did,” the pirate reiterated, “and got little thanks for it.”

Elissa seemed horrified by the exchange as she looked at the duo. That was, of course, until both broke into hysterical laughter.

“I don’t get it,” she admitted.

“This is a game we play,” Isabella explained. “Truth is we could always barely stand each other but... there is a charm in that, isn’t there?”

Elissa shook her head. “I... no, but if that helps...”

Isabella settled down beside the two and n the bed. “For me, yes. Otherwise the tension would kill me.”

“Tension?”

Hawke chuckled under his breath. “Sexual, Love. Isabella means sexual tension.”

Elissa nodded in understanding. “I had the same with one of my companions,” she admitted. “Turned into teasing until he tried to get serious.”

“And..?” Isabella asked.

“He tried to give me jewelry,” Elissa sighed. “Got it very attached, wanted- more, in spite of his nature. Zevran was...”

“Zevran?!?” Both of the other occupants spoke at once with stunned glares.

“You know him?”

“We’ve...met,” Bella admitted.

“So have I. Met him.” Hawke blushed brightly.

A silence fell over before being taken in by laughter. Isabella laid down between the couple with a smile. “So we’ve all met the little birdie.”

“Birdie.” Elissa chuckled. “Anyway... what brought you here?”

Isabella huffed at being brought to task before handing a paper to her passengers. “This arrived for Hawke.”

The Champion took the paper and read it. “Damn sparrow network,” he mumbled.

“If you want me to just go further to sea...”

“No, no.” He handed it to Cousland and continued, “There is a merging to duty in all this I suppose.”

“Wasn’t Alistair enough?” Elissa snapped.

“Love...”

“No! Good men don’t just get to go fall at the feet of this... this... harpie Inquisitor!”

“She is no harpy,” Garrett corrected slowly. “She is... different, maybe.”

“Different?”

“Most people would covet the power she has- Gloriana seems to resent it. And she actually believes in Andraste, if you can believe that, with everything she has seen.”

“And considers herself the mouthpiece of the Bride?” Elissa asked skeptically. “Is she delusional?”

Hawke chuckled at that. “Just very devout. I don’t think she believes herself any more blessed or chosen than the next person. Only able to do more about it.”

Elissa thought about that and looked over his face. “Oh Maker,” she muttered, “my confession was too late wasn’t it?”

“Pardon?”

“I believe,” Isabella noted, “she has recognized the massive interest in your voice and finds you in love with the Inquisitor. I noticed it myself.”

“That’s... ridiculous.”

“Your face is bright red,” Bella noted.

“No it isn’t...”

“Yes,” Elissa commented. “It is.” She looked over her companion and let her head cock. “Isabella, would you mind giving us a moment?”

“Of course.”

Once Isabella had left again, Hawke stammered. “I’m... not sure...”

“Yes you are.”

“But...”

“No.” Elissa sighed carefully. “I said I love you, and you said it back. If I can just be sure... was that real?”

“Yes!”

“Then I need to say that I am... not a jealous lover.”

“What?”

“You probably should sit down for this.” When Hawke sat beside her on the bed, she continued. “If you do love her as well then maybe.... that would be ok?”

“...how?”

Elissa blushed. “My brother told you a little, yes? About my... history?”

“He had no right to do so.”

“He did “ Elissa corrected. “Maybe not fully but... he knows I’ve been hard in the past. Seeing me soft made him worry. But... he doesn’t know everything.”

“Such as?”

Elissa chuckled. “Grab Issy.”

Hawke blinked and burst into laughter. “So you are feeling better. Joker.”

Elissa chuckled. She straightened herself up, cracking her neck and biting her lip. “Honestly.”

“Honest?”

Elissa let her body come up from the bed and chuckled. “Go get Isabella. Now.”

Hawke caught the hitch in her voice and headed to the door. To his surprise she was still set outside the door. “Did you miss me loves?” she asked, pushing him in and pinning him against the bed.

Elissa took the initiative to pull Isabella’s face close and kiss it. The newly-minted Inquisitorial admiral kissed back intensely, still rubbing a bit up and down Garrett’s leg. “I’ve always kind of missed you,” the Warden explained.

“Did you now, pretty?” Isabella asked as she took over the kiss. “I’m glad to know I made an impression.”

“Mmhmm” was all Elissa could manage, her mouth otherwise occupied.

“I have a bit too,” Hawke admitted before Elissa rearranged to pull his shirt off as Bella worked below.

“Have you now?” Isabella removed her own shirt, reaching for Elissa’s bright blue silk top to pull it open and grab the other woman’s breasts.

What happened next none will ever tell, but it definitely proved to Hawke that at least physically loving two women was very possible.


	10. Chapter 10

“I can’t get this on straight...” Gloriana grumbled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “The buttons are all wrong and I look like I’m in my pajamas.”

It was Cullen who came up to her and reset the top few. “It doesn’t look so bad...”

“Please!” Glori looked again and sighed. “No. I’m not doing this.” She started to wiggle out of the beige ensemble with a groan.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” the blonde commander asked, blushingly averting his eyes.

Gloriana sighed and glared as she grabbed a blue top. “Just help me, Cullen.”

Cullen shook his head and turned, releasing his breath as he saw her chest was still covered by a white sleeveless top. He moved to aide, helping with the small buttons as he asked, “Wouldn’t someone else do better at this?”

Gloriana sighed. “Josephine and Vivienne have gone back home, and Leliana is preparing to take over as the Divine. Who else would you suggest I ask for help?”

Cullen’s head shook as he finished his task. “You need an aide then. I’ll put it on the list...”

“If you could stop whining about being my best friend I don’t need that.”

Cullen paused then, conceding, turned. “As you say, Inquisitor.”

The commander rushed out of the room to leave Glori to reflect. She took several deep breaths and began adding a little make up to her face.

Minutes later, she was on the way down her stairs slowly, heart pounding faster as she went down to the receiving g room. She let her breath catch, closing her eyes an instant as she opened the door...

“Gloriana!” The deep, robust voice echoed improprietously through the hall. Hawke very suddenly had his arms wrapped around the Inquisitor’s waist as he lifted her into the air.

It was not until she hit ground that Glori returned the embrace, placing a kiss on the Champion’s cheek. “Garrett. I’m... so relieved to see you.”

“Relieved?” Hawke asked with a chuckle.

“I think he was rather hoping for more than that,” said a strong voice beside him. A red-head in bright blues offered her hand. “I’m Warden Cousland.”

“You’re...” lovely! “...welcome in Skyhold.”

Gloriana almost forgot to extend a hand, a clearing of throat from Cullen snapping her back to reality.

“I do apologize for not arriving earlier. I was... otherwise indisposed,” Elissa noted.

Hawke chuckled. “Just show her, Lizzy.”

“Show me... what, exactly?”

At the prompt, Warden Cousland took a string from her neck. A talisman was attached, filled with a red-brown liquid. She pressed it into the Inquisitor’s hands and bid her examine it.

“I...” Gloriana’s head cocked, reviewing it. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s called a Warden’s oath. Usually it holds the tainted blood from your Joining...but you see the coloration is so dark?”

Gloriana nodded, turning it in her fingers. “I do.”

“It is not usually like that,” Hawke clarified. “It’s more...” He struggled with the word, the thought.

“Bright,” Cousland provided. “This One has taken the full brunt of the Taint from me, though.”

Hawke filled in. “That’s the thing that made your Wardens so susceptible to the voices in their heads.”

Cousland paused as she cocked her head. “That is an apt description.”

The Inquisitor felt her hands go weak. She weakly handed the pendant over, gently shaking as she continued her thought. “So there is a cure?”

“Of a fashion, I guess. It is not pleasant.” Cousland shuddered.

“Not many would survive it,” Hawke chimed in.

“Well, yes that is true.”

Trevelyan blinked as she looked over the duo. “Did you two just fix my biggest remaining headache?” she asked, incredulous.

“I don’t know.”

“Did we?” Hawke asked, grinning big wildly. “What was the issue?”

Gloriana grumbled low, but still found herself buoyed by her excitement at seeing the two heroes. Slowly, she answered, “How to keep them losing their minds again.”

“Oh.” Cousland paused a bit. “I guess I did.”

Hawke took a hand each and guided the two up to the Inquisitor’s office. “That’s kind of what we do, isn’t it?” He offered. “Unintentionally save the world?”

Trevelyan shrugged, seeing Cousland do the same. “I suppose I shall have to thank you doubly, then. Welcome to Skyhold.”

Cousland gave a mock bow. “I am only sorry I took so long. I was sadly preoccupied.”

“Apparently.”

Trevelyan nodded to the companions and beckoned them to sit. “So... Warden. Tell me of yourself.”


End file.
